Heartland DIY 7 x 8 Country Manor Storage Building

by Robert Murdoch
(Montpelier, Vermont, USA)

More than just your natural shed. This is my shed!!

I bought this small but elaborate country style storage shed to add more value to my home and as a decorative fixture in my backyard. I use part of it for storage and another part as a craft/work area.

I purchased this shed at Lowes about three years ago. I wanted something a little more upscale than the traditional storage shed, so price was not really much of an issue for me. I also knew that something more expensive was probably going to be a little more tactical when putting it together and boy was I right about that.

My dad helped me put the shed together. It took about a week in a half. We were in no rush and between the two of us we probably could have finished it in half that time. It was a nice bonding experience actually. I paid almost two grand for this shed, so as far as I was concerned all of the parts had better be included. All the parts that were required with the shed were indeed included. I did pitch in a few extra things myself, which brought my grand running total to about $2,250.

The instructions were pretty clear. My dad and I actually didn't really need the instructions, if my memory serves me right we only glanced at them a couple of times. There were the main instruction pamphlet and then the tool instructions. Everything came precut but the tricky parts were the windows, the foundation and adding the shingles.

The tools we used were basic hammer and a power screw driver (at times was easier to use a standard screw driver.) We laid the brick foundation out first. I wanted to use bricks instead of columns of bricks. I was not concerned about killing the grass underneath because it always grows back, plus bricks make for a nicer finish and I also think a sturdier foundation. Laying out the bricks was kind of tedious. Once we got them in and straight we had to lay the mortar in and wait for that to try. Up went the shed.

The roof and shingles were tricky. The roof is slanted and juts out in a pointed angle. Once we got all those shingles down I wanted to tip it off with a classic turning rooster navigator. I also had to paint the shed walls.

The shed does not leak at all. It has skylights and it is close to enough to my house that I bring out a long power cord to use when I'm doing my apprentice work. The shed serves as a part storage unit and a great work area. There is just enough room for one person to stay comfortable.

The durability of this shed is certainly worth the money that I paid for it. I would recommend investing in something that is going to cost more because in the long run it will be well worth it.

Comments for Heartland DIY 7 x 8 Country Manor Storage Building

A similar shed to Heartland is the Handy Home brand. These are a very similar specification. Find out more at this page they can be delivered to your door. I think that there is also a building service where they will put it together for you.